IAEA to issue report on Iran on Thursday

VIENNA: The UN atomic watchdog was to issue a report on Thursday that is expected to document Iran's defiance of calls to rein in its nuclear programme and open Tehran up to wider UN sanctions.

"The report is coming out on Thursday," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said.

The report is expected to show Iran increasing rather than freezing uranium enrichment operations, in defiance of a UN Security Council resolution calling on Iran to halt such activities.

This could lead to UN increased sanctions against Iran, building on measures in effect since the Security Council resolution was adopted on December 23.

Fleming also said that IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei would be meeting on Friday in Vienna with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.